Tag Archives: Hoover Reservoir

Did you see me on TV?

ABC Ch 6′s Tom Bosco called me a couple weeks ago about a week-long series he was doing on the local housing market. He had visited this blog and wanted to include me for the “Photography” portion of his series. The intent was to discuss the importance of good photos for a home on the Internet. Since this is such a pet peeve of mine, I jumped at the chance. Good photos are so critical when marketing the home on the Internet.

We agreed to meet at my new listing in Galena, east of Hoover Reservoir, to do the interview. I hoped that it would give extra exposure for the home, but alas, very little of the home is shown. My seller agreed to be interviewed as well.

View Elaine Reese interview on ABC Ch6You can see the entire news segment via this link. Since the only way I could capture it was to video it from my TV, some clarity is lost due to the inability of cameras to record a different medium. (It’s why stripes appear on computer monitors when they appear on TV).

The interview includes another agent on a home in her market area, which is probably a small home in Clintonville.

I want to thank ABC Ch 6 and Tom for finally doing a POSITIVE local housing report. It’s much appreciated.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Hoover Reservoir Executive-Style Home Is For Sale

Executive-style, luxury, contemporary home near Hoover Reservoir (South of Galena) is now for sale. Nestled in 3 wooded acres overlooking a splendid ravine, this home is truly spectacular. Originally built in the early 60′s, it was totally redesigned by a California architect in the mid 90′s, to maintain its unique hexagonal design. You’ve heard agents say it before, but this home really must be seen in person to totally experience the 360° views in the open and flowing rooms, as well as in the many gardens.

No detail has been missed by the architect to provide “windows to the world” in all the rooms. However, even though the floor plan is open, the various wings provide privacy from the main living areas. It’s an excellent home for entertaining with no worry about intruding upon the private quarters.

For best viewing, click the “full” icon.

The cedar-lined home office is equally spectacular with its panels of windows and access to a ‘sunrise’ deck to get the out-of-the-box creative juices flowing. It even offers a separate workroom, perfect for an assistant or for compiling presentations on the open shelves. There is an exclusive entrance to the office wing via an exterior spiral staircase … convenient for visiting clients or guests. This office wing could also serve as an artist’s or photographer’s gallery.

The floor plan of this wonderful home is extremely versatile so new buyers could use many of the rooms different than the current owners. If you need a home for multi-generations, you’ll find it suitable for that as well. You’re limited only by your imagination.

As the photos indicate, the home is very large, just under 5200 sq ft with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. There are 3 patios and 3 decks. Professionally landscaped with an unbelievable organic veggie garden with an enclosure designed by a professional landscape designer. Convenient to the Polaris area, the airport or downtown Columbus (~30 min). Compare that to the prices on “cookie cutter” houses and you’ll make this your next home! SOLD for $542,000. Google Map

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Newspaper reporter loves “enchanting modern home”

I listed a unique exec-style home yesterday. The seller happened to have an old newspaper clipping from The Dispatch that was written perhaps in the late 60′s or early 70′s when the newspaper featured the home in its HOMES section. There’s no date on the yellowed article, so we’re not sure when the home was actually featured.

Since the home was totally updated and remodeled in the 90′s, keeping with the original unique design but adding on a 3rd floor, it was interesting to read the newspaper’s take on the design. I enjoyed (was amused) at some of the descriptions used by the Dispatch writer:

  • “Enchanting design – more than a mere conversation piece.” (yes, very true!)
  • It has a “myriad of nooks, crannies and turns and its elastic use of space, the plan is a child’s delight; an adult’s idea of enchanting excitement”. (I’ve no idea what an ‘elastic use of space’ is … so don’t ask!)
  • “At one side, the ceiling soars, the floor falls away and you have a bird’s-eye view into a “well”, which is the lower level living room.” (Perhaps, having a floor ‘fall-away’ is not quite the description I would use …)
  • “… the eye finds fascination in angles and spaces.” (OK, I agree with this.)
  • ” … to cozily encompass a one-step dropped area rimmed with built-in seating.” (the home has a step-down conversation pit around a wood stove which is a wonderful place.)

I doubt that this Dispatch reporter is still in the business, but I really did enjoy reading her article. I’ll be posting on this home tomorrow or Monday. I’ll have to remember to add some of these phrases … right after I determine what that elastic phrase means … perhaps “versatile”? I do like the “eye finds fascination” as this home is one of those where you want to stand in one spot and do a 360° turn in many of the rooms to totally capture the entire “bird’s-eye view“.

I would LOVE to have this same reporter see the home since its major remodel in the 90′s. It’s even more spectacular now … or as she would say, “even MORE of an enchanting design“.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Water fun in southern Delaware County

Today I had to traverse from one side of southern Delaware County to the other … something I do frequently. Since I wasn’t under a specific time limit, I took some time to take photos (see below) around the three main areas for boaters. It was a rather warm day in the high 80′s, so being next to water seemed like a good thing to do.

I first had to be up near Hoover Reservoir which extends from the east side of Westerville northward to the west side of Galena and beyond. I stopped at the southern part where the dam spillway is to snap photos. There were LOTS of Canadian geese there resting close to a picnic shelter. Given the “mess” they make, actually having a picnic there certainly wouldn’t be very appealing. There were also quite a few seagulls and brown ducks as well.

Northward on Sunbury Rd where it crosses over the reservoir, I stopped at another boat launch site to take some photos of the backside of some homes across the water. A couple of the homes have installed the huge rocks along their water frontage to prevent erosion. Others haven’t, and the erosion is obvious. There are many waterfront homes along Hoover. Because of a specific agreement with the City of Columbus, the water level can’t be raised as high as originally planned because the city would be responsible for taking the owner’s land away. (That’s why there are no waterfront homes along Alum Creek – they learned a lesson!)

Then my errands took me westward on Big Walnut Rd, so I took a brief side trip up Africa Rd to a boat launch on Alum Creek Reservoir. Not many people there, in spite of the warm day. However, it is a weekday, so most would be working. Or perhaps, the gas costs have curtailed some of the time spent on the water.

Back down Africa Rd to Lewis Center Rd which goes past the bottom of the Alum Creek Dam then northward along the west side of the reservoir. On this side of the lake, there are campgrounds, a beach, and a couple boat launches. One of them is for the sailing club. There’s something inherently peaceful about a sail boat, even though they were moored.

Also, on this side of the Reservoir is the Dog Park. Of course, I HAD to stop here. It was the busiest place … but it WAS a great day for the dogs to enjoy a swim. I wasn’t dressed appropriate to go inside the beach fence and potentially be subjected to “shake-baths”, so I stood outside the area. All I saw was large dogs, but then I heard a familiar sounding bark & snappy growl and knew there had to be a doxie somewhere. Sure enough, there was a short-hair … letting the big guys know who was REALLY the tough guy on the beach. I later learned his name was Scooter.

Continuing on with my errands near Powell, I went to the boat launch at O’Shaunessy on the Scioto River, which is just south of Home Rd off of Riverside Dr. Again, only a couple boaters in the water. As I was walking back to the WEENR-mobile, I noticed a bunch of carpenter bees were taking advantage of some flowering weeds to gather nectar. Better they spend their time here, than boring holes in nearby homes.

Since I seldom get any time off from real estate, I really enjoy the opportunity for these side jaunts to reconnect with nature and for a brief period of time forget about all the details of the real estate business. I need that once in a while to recharge the batteries.

Copyright © 2008. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Birding temporarily replaces real estate business

I took advantage of today’s sunny day to take exterior photos of the new listing near Hoover Reservoir that I mentioned in yesterday’s post. It’s a heavily wooded, ravine lot and the owner’s have many bird feeders around the 3 acres.

To get a good shot of the back of the home, I had to go to the other side of the ravine in order to get the entire home in the camera’s frame. (It’s a big home). I had prepared for this by wearing layers of winter clothing and my boots to navigate the snow.

As I was standing in the midst of the brambles, I heard quite a bit of chatter from all the birds overhead. Then there was silence! At that point I saw a small falcon swooping around the ravine, frightening all the song birds.

I tried to capture a photo, but the falcon flew too fast. As I watched it fly, I noticed in a nearby thicket, were 6 male Cardinals. I’ve not seen so many Cardinals in such a small space. They were gorgeous! I had to use the zoom setting to avoid frightening them away, so the photo isn’t as clear as I would like.

Copyrighted Cardinals
Copyright © 2008. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

Hoover Reservoir is a great attraction for birds … and people, too!

I had an appointment on the east side of Hoover Reservoir recently, near the intersection of Sunbury Rd and Red Bank Rd. Just south of this intersection is an inlet area called the Twin Bridges launch ramp. Although the day was chilly and brisk, I decided to stop and snap a couple photos.

Copyrighted Twin Bridges launch ramp at Hoover Reservoir

The homes that are all along this huge reservoir are fairly pricey since waterfront property isn’t very plentiful in central Ohio. The homes on this east side of Hoover can be quite expensive (over $1 million),  elaborate and luxurious. Much of the terrain near the water is heavily wooded, ravined and quite private, whereas the homes on the west side of the reservoir have open flat lots.

Hoover is known to have a wide variety of birds and waterfowl. Near the area of this photo is Mud Hen Marsh, west on Big Walnut Rd. It’s an area of wetlands where you might see warblers, herons, ducks, woodpeckers and occasionally Bald Eagles.

Along the Twin Bridges area, there is a wide selection of ducks, plus, several Turkey Vulture roosts. A lot of Canadian geese were in the water when I was there.

If you look carefully in the left-center of the photo, you’ll notice that there seems to be an inlet going in between the ravines. Next week I’ll be listing a home that’s just past the end of this inlet. The home has a small stream at the bottom of its ravine that flows to this inlet. It’s quite a scenic area.

Hoover Reservoir also offers fishing but is probably best known for the sail boats. Speedboats aren’t allowed as motors can be no larger than 6hp. It’s very peaceful and serene watching the sailboats quietly float on the water with the pretty terrain of the east of the reservoir in the distance.

If you think this would be an area you would enjoy living in, be sure to check next week for the awesome home that I’ll be listing and posting here for you to see. It’s unbelievable! 

Copyright © 2008. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.